The present disclosure relates to slidable cover systems for covering a container, truck body or container, and more particularly to a bow end for such systems.
Slidable cover systems are used to cover the open top of a container body and then slide to one end of the body to permit access to the load within the container body. Thus, a container body C may be in the form of a trailer for carrying a load L, as shown in FIG. 1, a dump truck body or a non-mobile container. The container body includes a cover or tarpaulin T supported by bows B, in which the bows are curved to provide clearance for the load L, particularly a heaped load. The bows B include a bow end structure E at the opposite ends of the bows that are configured to slide along opposite side rails SR of the container C. The bow end structure, or bow ends, E are configured to engage a drive system D, which includes a drive cable DC, as best shown in FIG. 2.
One example of a prior bow and bow end is shown in FIG. 3. The bow assembly 10 includes a curved bow 11 having straight ends 13 that are configured to ride along the top rail TR of the container C. The ends 13 terminate in a cable gripping element 14 that is configured to be slidably engaged around a drive cable DC. The cable gripping element is typically in the form of clamp halves, with one half integral with the bow end 13 and the other half removable fastened to the bow end half, such as by a bolt. Some bow assemblies include a low friction element 15 disposed around the bow end 13 to facilitate sliding along the top rail.
The prior bow systems, such as the systems shown in FIGS. 1-3, suffer from poor water drainage of the tarp T due to the flat or linear section 13. Moreover, in such prior systems the tarp tends to wear out as it becomes trapped underneath the bow and bow end as it slides. The prior bow systems are also difficult to integrate with a tarp hold-down system that prevents the tarp from billowing upward as the container is transported on the road. Finally, since the bow end 13 is integral with the bow 11 itself, replacing the bow end requires replacing the entire bow, or replacing the bow requires replacing the bow end. Furthermore, the process of replacing either bow or bow end is very cumbersome with these prior bow systems.